Separation-resistant capsule

ABSTRACT

A separation-resistant capsule for containing, for example, oral medication, having a sealing band established between telescopically engageable body and cap portions of the capsule. The sealing band is provided by conforming mating tapers on both said portions rendering the capsule substantially airtight when said portions are fully telescopically engaged with one another.

United States Patent Bela N. Lorincz Windsor, Ontario, Canada 834,668

J une 1 9, 1969 June 15, 1971 Scherer-G.C. Limited Toronto, Ontario,Canada inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee SEPARATION-RESISTANTCAPSULE 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 220/42A lnt.Cl B65d41/00 Field of Search... 220/42;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,414 1/1952 Duffey206/56 3,143,239 8/1964 Wiley et al 220/42.

Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Att0meyLeon Arthurs ABSTRACT: Aseparation-resistant capsule for containing, for example, oralmedication, having a sealing band established between telescopicallyengageable body and cap portions of the capsule. The sealing band isprovided by conforming mating tapers on both said portions rendering thecapsule substantially airtight when said portions are fullytelescopically engaged with one another.

PATENTED JUN 1 5 1971 FIGQ INVENTOR R mm SEPARATION-RESISTANT CAPSULEThis invention relates to a separation-resistant capsule comprised of abody telescopically installable in a cap and, in particular, theinvention relates to a capsule having a body and cap formed of a hardgelatin for the purpose of containing a pharmaceutical preparationtherein.

Capsules for containing pharmaceutical preparations and comprised of abody telescopically installed in a cap are well known in the prior artand various means have been employed in the production of said caps toobtain separation-resistant engagement in the finished article betweenthe body and the cap whilst at the same time permitting of ease ofmanufacture, and subsequent automatic filling, of the constituent partsof the capsule before engagement as aforesaid.

The instant capsule, in common with the prior art capsules, has at leasta part of its cap and body tapered outwardly towards their open ends;this tapering of the parts being necessary to permit ease of manufacturethereof by means of a moulding operation comprising dipping steel pinsof appropriate sizes into liquid gelatin and allowing the adhering layerof gelatin on the pin to set and dry. The resulting gelatin which formsthe cap or body, as the case may be, is then stripped from theappropriate pin and cut to proper length; the aforesaid taper beingprovided to permit ease of stripping which would, without the provisionof a taper, be hindered by the formation of a vacuum within the cap orbody as it is removed from the pin.

he provision of this necessary taper in the cap and body portions hasbeen utilized in some prior art capsules to provide some degree ofwedging interengagement between the body when it is telescopicallyreceived within the cap. However, it will be appreciated that such asimple wedging interengagement, by virtue of the fact that the taper inboth the body and the cap portions is convergent towards the open endsthereof, can only produce a line of engagement where the rim of the bodyopen end engages within the cap. Consequently, after the capsule hasbeen filled, it may be liable to accidental disengagement of the bodyfrom within the cap with the consequent spillage of the contents.

Other prior art capsules have provided a constriction within the capnecessitating a deformation of the body open end as it is squeezed pastthe constriction to form an interference fit of the body within the capwhilst still other prior art capsules have relied upon a somewhat lesserconstriction within the cap in an attempt to provide a band of lockingengagement ofthe body open end portion within the cap adjacent itsclosed end wall.

It is, therefore, a broad object of the present invention to provide animproved separation-resistant capsule wherein the body is telescopicallyreceivable within a cap in firm locking engagement and wherein theconstituent parts of the capsule are not liable to separation afterhaving been filled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a capsule asaforesaid wherein a substantially hermetic seal is effected between thebody and cap portions when the two parts are assembled together afterhaving been filled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in a capsule asaforesaid, a cap which is appropriately moulded so as to be engageableover the open end of an associated body and sealingly engaged therewithwithout any substantial deformation ofeither the body open end or thecap.

To meet the foregoing and other as yet unspecified objects of theinvention, there is provided a separation-resistant capsule comprising abody telescopically installed in a cap wherein the body has an externalsealing zone and a portion of the interior surface of the cap has aconformingly tapered sealing zone engageable by the aforesaid bodysealing zone to effect a sealing band of interengagement therebetweenwhen the two parts are assembled together.

Other objects of the invention, more or less broad than the foregoingwill become apparent from the hereinafter following description of theparts, principles and elements of the invention given herein solely byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals refer to like prints throughout the several views andwherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of the body and cap constituting theinstant capsule;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the body and cap fully assembledtogether;

FIGS. 3 and 3A are axially divided side cross-sectional views showingtwo dispositions of the body relative to the cap prior to their fullassembly together, and

FIGS. 4 and 4A are axially divided side cross-sectional views showing anintermediate assembly form and the full assembled form of the body andcap. A separation-resistant capsule constructed in accordance with theinvention and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is comprisedof an elongated body B telescopically installable within an elongatedcap C; the two parts conveniently being moulded of a hard gelatin forthe purpose of receiving a pharmaceutical preparation therein to betaken as an oral medication.

In accordance with the invention, the body B and cap C are each providedwith sealing zones 10 and 12 respectively, the body sealing zone 10being external of the body and the cap sealing zone 12 being internal ofthe cap; said zones 10 and 12 being conformingly tapered and dimensionedto mate with each other and form a broad sealing band S when the body Bis fully installed in the cap C. Said broad sealing band S is shown inFIG. 2 and in the right-hand half of FIG. 4 of the drawings and itshould be appreciated that this latter illustration, together with FIG.3, is drawn on a somewhat exaggerated scale in order to illustrate moreclearly the conforming tapers and dimensions of the body B and cap C.

It should be observed at this juncture that this sealing band S, whichis desired to be substantially hermetic, is only achieved when the twocapsule parts are fully engaged one with another and the two saidsealing zones 10 and 12 are matingly engaged; this condition normallybeing fulfilled after the capsule has been filled. In common withcertain prior art capsules, it is also desired to provide an initialinstalled position of the body B within the cap C (as shown in dottedoutline in the left-hand half of FIG. 4) wherein the two parts areeasily separable prior to filling. There is generally no need ornecessity for any sealing of the body B to the cap C in this saidinitial position, which is only provided for ease of partial assembly ofthe body and the cap during transportation or storage of the two partsprior to filling.

The moulding of the constituent parts of the capsule, namely the body Band the cap C, may be carried out in conventional manner onappropriately shaped moulding pins. Such pins, which are generallyformed of steel, are usually dipped into a liquid gelatin preparationand then withdrawn to leave the adhering film of gelatin to harden andset about the pin. After moulding, the body B of the instant capsule iscomprised of a thin shell of an internally and externally taperedelongated tubular configuration which is cut to a predetermined lengthafter being stripped from its moulding pin. As will be apparent, suchbody is provided with a domed closed end 14 and an open end 16 and boththe interior and exterior surfaces of the body B are continuouslytapered from the closed end 14 to the open end 16. The aforesaid sealingzone 10 on the body B is conveniently provided and constituted by aportion of the external sidewall of the body at orclosely adjacent itsopen end 16; such zone 10 extending axially of the body B for a shortdistance away from the open end 16.

Similarly, after moulding, the instant cap C is basically comprised ofan elongated tubular member cut to a predetermined length after beingstripped from its moulding pin. The cap is also fonned as a thin shellhaving corresponding degrees and dimensions of taper on both itsinternal and external surfaces and is formed with a domed closed end 18and an open end 20. However, the cap C is tapered to flare towards theclosed end of the cap to provide the internal sealing zone 12 asaforesaid which is conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate with thesaid sealing zone 10 provided on the external surface of the body B.

The cap C is further provided with askirt 22 which extends from thesealing zone 12 to its open end 20, the skirt 22 flaring towards theopen end 20 and providing an internal constriction 24 in the cap C atthe juncture of the skirt 22 and the sealing zone 12.

The maximum external diameter of the body sealing zone 10 must obviouslybe selected to be less than the internal diameter of the open end 20 ofthe cap C but to exceed the internal diameter of the said constriction24 in the cap whereby, when the body is telescopically installed in thecap after filling, the two aforesaid sealing zones 10-12 may be broughtinto mating engagement with one another to form a broad substantiallyhermetic sealing band S therebetween.

As illustrated herein, the skirt 22 in the cap C is differentiallyflared in two discrete portions between the constriction 24 and the openend 20 of the cap C, the degree of flaring being greater in the portion26 adjacent the constriction 24 than in the portion adjacent the openend 20 of the cap. The said greater flared portion 26 of the skirtprovides means whereby the body B may be installed in its aforesaidinitial position in the cap C prior to filling and, as illustrated inFIG. 4, such greater flared portion 26 constitutes an impingement orabutment for the open end 16 of the body B providing the required easilyseparable initial installation of the body B within the cap C asaforesaid.

It will be appreciated that it is normally required for the capsulemanufacturer to ship the capsules empty to the pharmaceuticalmanufacturer or distributor for subsequent filling by automaticmachinery, to which end the body B is installable in the aforesaidinitial position within the cap C. lt is evident, however, that,although these constituent parts of the capsule must be readilyseparable from this initially installed position, they must not be soloosely assembled that they would come apart during storage ortransportation to which end the initial installed position, asillustrated in dotted outline in the lefthand half of FIG. 4, permitsthe rim of the body open end 16 to be slightly deformed as it abutsagainst the said greater flared portion 26 of the cap so that somefrictional interengagement is obtained to effect retention of the twoparts together.

After separation of the two parts and subsequent filling with, forexample, a pharmaceutical preparation, the body B and cap C are thenagain engaged one with another but this time the cap is firmly pressedover the body until the rim of the body open end 16, and the capadjacent the constriction 24, are sufficiently mutually deformed topermit the body open end 16 to pass the constriction 24 at which timethe mating sealing zones l-l2 come into contact one with another. Suchmutual deformation as aforesaid is indicated in the lefthand half ofFIG. 4 of the drawings wherein the open end 16 of body B is deformed tothe position shown in full line as it is pressed passed the constriction24 in the cap C. Further axial pressure of the body B into the cap Cwill cause a frictional wedging interengagement between the two sealingzones 12 establishing a broad band S of substantially hermetic sealingbetween the two parts, as illustrated in the right-hand half of FIG. 4.

However, since the two sealing zones 10-12 are conformingly tapered anddimensioned to mate with each other, there will be no substantialdeformation of either the body B or the cap C once the body open end 16has passed the constriction 24 whereby no puckering of the two partswill occur and the substantially hermetic seal S may be easily attained.It will also be apparent that the provision of the sealing band S withinthe cap C beyond the constriction 24 will prevent any likelihood ofseparation of the two parts although even if some slight separation doesoccur after filling, the two parts will, by virtue of the broad band Sof sealing, retain their sealing engagement whereby any danger of damageto the capsule contents b air pollution will be mitigated.

It Wll be appreciated that the hereinbefore described embodiments of theinvention have been selected solely for the expository purposes hereofand should not be construed in a limiting sense; various modificationsbeing readily suggestible to those skilled in the art and the true scopeof the invention being restricted only by the claims hereinafter setforth.

What I claim is: l. A separation-resistant capsule comprising: a tubularbody having an open end and a closed end; an external tapered sealingzone on said body adjacent its said open end, the diameter of saidtapered zone increasing progressively towards said open end; a capwithin which said body is telescopically installable having an open endand a closed end; an annular constriction in said cap intermediate itssaid open and closed ends; an internal tapered sealing zone in said capintermediate its said constriction and closed end, the diameter of saidtapered zone increasing progressively towards said closed end of thecap; said sealing zones being conformingly tapered and dimensioned tomate with each other and form a broad, substantially hermetic, tapered,seal when the body is fully telescopically installed in the cap, and askirt on said cap extending from its said constriction to its said openend, said skirt flaring towards said open end, the maximum externaldiameter of the body sealing zone being less than the internal diameterof the open end of the cap but exceeding the internal diameter of saidconstriction. 2. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1wherein:

said skirt is differentially flared in two discrete portions betweensaid constriction and the open end of the cap, the degree of flaringbeing greater in the portion adjacent said constriction than in theportion adjacent the open end ofthe cap. 3. A separation-resistantcapsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said sealing zone on said body extends to the rim of its said open end.4. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said body is externally tapered over its full length from its said openend to its said closed end; said body sealing zone being constituted bya portion of said tapered body.

1. A separation-resistant capsule comprising: a tubular body having anopen end and a closed end; an external tapered sealing zone on said bodyadjacent its said open end, the diameter of said tapered zone increasingprogressively towards said open end; a cap within which said body istelescopically installable having an open end and a closed end; anannular constriction in said cap intermediate its said open and closedends; an internal tapered sealing zone in said cap intermediate its saidconstriction and closed end, the diameter of said tapered zoneincreasing progressively towards said closed end of the cap; saidsealing zones being conformingly tapered and dimensioned to mate witheach other and form a broad, substantially hermetic, tapered, seal whenthe body is fully telescopically installed in the cap, and a skirt onsaid cap extending from its said constriction to its said open end, saidskirt flaring towards said open end, the maximum external diameter ofthe body sealing zone being less than the internal diameter of the openend of the cap but exceeding the internal diameter of said constriction.2. A separation-resistant capsule as claimed in claim 1 wherein: saidskirt is differentially flared in two discrete portions between saidconstriction and the open end of the cap, the degree of flaring beinggreater in the portion adjacent said constriction than in the portionadjacent the open end of the cap.
 3. A separation-resistant capsule asclaimed in claim 1 wherein: said sealing zone on said body extends tothe rim of its said open end.
 4. A separation-resistant capsule asclaimed in claim 1 wherein: said body is externally tapered over itsfull length from its said open end to its said closed end; said bodysealing zone being constituted by a portion of said tapered body.